Macau, 17 September 2021) Marking a memorable night, the 7th celebratory gala dinner of the Macau European Chamber of Commerce (“MECC” or “the Chamber”) was held at Grand Lisboa Palace Resort Macau today, with honourable guests and members in attendance; including representatives of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Macau SAR, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China in the Macau SAR and the Macau SAR Government; Consuls General of European countries in Macau; and members of prominent local business communities.
This year, MECC was proud to deliver a “Cabaret” movie-themed dinner, where guests could travel back to Germany in the 1930s and experience the movie setting as if they were there. Over 300 distinguished guests attended the gala dinner and watched various cabaret acts at The Grand Pavilion of Grand Lisboa Palace which was supported by the Platinum Sponsor SJM Resorts, S.A. (“SJM”), celebrating another encouraging year for MECC in boosting multilateral progression among the European Union (“EU”), China and Macau communities.
Ms. Daisy Ho, Chairman of the Board of Directors of SJM Resorts, S.A., welcomed the guests in her video remarks, “SJM has been a long-time supporter of MECC since its inauguration in 2013. Together, we aim to promote economic and cultural exchanges between Macau and Europe, further reinforcing Macau’s role as a platform between China and Portuguese-speaking countries. SJM has always been in the forefront of upholding and enhancing Sino-European exchanges and cooperation, and this has been displayed even more fully when we opened Grand Lisboa Palace. From the architecture to interior design, from gastronomy to hotel and leisure facilities, our patrons will be able to experience the best from the East and the West.”
Reaffirming its commitment to recognising local entities with a high level of European standards and motivating Macau businesses to engage in EU connectivity, the Chamber presented the 7th MECC Awards for EuroExcellence during the gala; honouring the highest local achievements in Luxury, Food and Beverage, Innovation, and Greater Bay Area Sino-Europe Cooperation respectively, as an appreciation for their significant contributions to Macau’s sustainable development, global business networking, and promotion of the city’s unique Sino-Western cultural exchange.
The MECC Awards for EuroExcellence this year went to:
- MECC Award for EuroExcellence in Luxury: SJM Resorts, S.A., for its pioneering efforts in bringing luxurious Lisboa-branded hospitality to Macau, including its latest triumph the Grand Lisboa Palace Resort Macau, which truly dazzles as an oasis of East-meets-West luxury;
- MECC Award for EuroExcellence in Food and Beverage: Vinomac Limited, for its passion in wine, and its devotion to educate local service providers and educational institutes about wine;
- MECC Award for EuroExcellence in Innovation: CESL Asia – Investments & Services, Ltd, for its continuing investment in developing sustainable business solutions and products;
- MECC Award for EuroExcellence in Greater Bay Area Sino-Europe Cooperation: Artyzen Hospitality Group, for its strategic business positioning in offering hotel management solutions in the China market.
(For more information about the awardees, please see the appendix.)
Dr. Ambrose So, Honorary Consul of Portugal in Hong Kong and Honorary Chairman of MECC, said in his speech via video, “Despite fewer visitors having travelled between Europe and Macau in the past year, MECC continues to lead the way in representing European businesses and their interests in Macau, and for them to integrate into Macau and the Greater Bay Area’s economic development.”
Ambassador Thomas Gnocchi, Head of the EU Office to Hong Kong and Macao and Honorary Chairman of the MECC, said in his remarks, “Despite the improvements that were made with regard to COVID-19, we are still living in challenging times where governments, businesses and citizens have had to learn to adapt to the pandemic. This year, Macau traded almost as much with the EU as it did with mainland China. Yet, our relations with Macau are not limited to trade. EU-Macau cooperation also includes education, research and innovation policies, and cooperation in the legal field, among others. The EU Office is committed to keeping our cooperation thriving and we wish to resume our annual dialogue with the SAR. A number of key policies have come out of Brussels recently, including the European Green Deal and our revised Trade Policy. We need partners around the world to promote these as only together can we face some of the current global challenges.”
Ambassador Paulo Cunha Alves, Consul General of Portugal in Macau and Hong Kong and Honorary Chairman of MECC, said, “The pandemic caused by the new coronavirus that swept the world last year has forced us to live in a new context and with new constraints, especially in terms of mobility. Last week, the Macau SAR government presented the Master Plan of the Development of the Guangdong-Macau Intensive Cooperation Zone in Hengqin, which is sure to bring good and new opportunities to Macau and will create a new dynamic for the economy and companies in the region.”
President of the Board of Directors of MECC, Mr. Carlos Duque Simões, said in his speech, “I would like to give you three numbers: 8, 5 and 3. Eight refers to the 8th anniversary of the establishment of MECC; 5 refers to the election of MECC’s 5th president next month; and 3 for the three gifts or qualities that the pandemic has brought out in our community and a lot of other communities around the world. The first of the three gifts is quality of resilience, referring to people’s ability to face limitations; the second being adaptability, the ability to adapt to a new environment; and the last is hope, the belief that something better is to come.”
The 2021 MECC Gala Dinner received a full house attendance thanks to the support from all of the esteemed sponsors including its Platinum Sponsor: SJM Resorts, S.A.; Gold Sponsors: Banco Nacional Ultramarino, S.A., Bank of China Macau Branch, Companhia de Electricidade de Macau – CEM, S.A., DSL Lawyers, and MGM; and Silver Sponsors: Galaxy Entertainment Group, Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (Macau) Limited, Melco Resorts & Entertainment, Sands China Ltd., and Wynn Resorts (Macau) S.A..
